Meditation For Sleep

Neither sleep routines nor mindfulness practice responds well to a heavy hand. If you set out to force yourself into sleep, you’re less likely to sleep, if you strain for some picture-perfect mindset when meditating, you’ll create more stress and uncertainty. If, however, you set yourself up with patient resolve and unforced intention, sleep and mindfulness are both more to likely follow.

We cannot make ourselves sleep, but perhaps, by aiming to stay settled and getting less caught up in our thoughts, we fall asleep anyway.

Transcript

A meditation for sleep. In considering any meditation related to sleep, Recognize that there's nothing to force and there's nothing to make happen. Since striving makes sleep more challenging, Set out to practice without specific expectations or goals. We cannot make ourselves sleep, But perhaps by aiming to stay settled and getting less caught up in our thoughts, We fall asleep anyway. For the meditation that follows, There will be no ending bell or instruction. At the end, Continue to practice if you like, Or hopefully enjoy a good night's rest instead. Start while lying down, Allowing your legs to rest in a comfortable posture, Hip-width apart. You can place your hands by your side or on your belly. Begin by noticing your breath. Pay attention, As best as you're able to, To the physical movement related to breathing, Such as your belly or your chest rising and falling. Or if you prefer, Focus your attention more closely on the air moving in and out of your nose and mouth. It's normal, Expected even, To have thoughts, Maybe lots of them. Your mind often rehashes the day or gets caught up in worrying about tomorrow. Recognize those habits and practice letting them be. Label whatever grabs your attention and then come back again to noticing the breath. Breathing in and breathing out. Notice with compassion if you get caught up in effort or frustration or fear. Catch thoughts of self-criticism or frustration and come back to just one breath, One more time. Thoughts are simply thoughts coming and going. Breathing in, There's nothing you need to fix or change right now in this moment. Notice where your thoughts go and label them thoughts or thinking. Come back to one next breath. Breathing out and shift your attention to sensations in your body. Start by moving your awareness to any physical sensations in your feet. You don't need to wiggle your toes or move your feet, Just notice them. The temperature at points between your heel, Your feet against the surface beneath you and from your feet through the ankles, Moving your attention into your lower legs. Noticing whatever there is to see and feel. Letting go of a sense of effort or needing to make anything happen and then from your lower legs through your knees and into your upper legs. Noticing anywhere that you're holding on, Any sense of stress or tension. Wherever you notice it, See if you can give yourself permission to soften and through the buttocks and the pelvic area into your belly and abdomen. You might notice a sense of your breath moving in and out. You might be aware of other physical sensations or sometimes even reflection of emotion. Maybe there's some tension or tightness present. Wherever you become aware of this, See if you can give yourself permission to soften, To release around the edges and to breathe and let go. As you move your awareness from your belly up into the chest, Notice each time your mind gets caught up in thoughts of discomfort or distraction. Acknowledge with kindness and gently with patience, Guiding your awareness back to the breath. Breathing in and breathing out, Moving the awareness around into the back. A place where many of us hold tension in different ways. Feeling into those muscles and as best as you're able, Allowing a sense of release and softening. Shoulders lowering away from the ears, Sinking into the surface beneath you. If you feel you need to make an adjustment to your posture, Allowing that to happen with mindful intention, Pausing and choosing your next action. Do you bring your awareness to the weight of the arms, The angle of your elbows, Bringing awareness into the hands again without actively needing to move or change anything. Simply observing and letting go. Breathing in and breathing out, Moving your awareness through your neck and into the muscles of your face. Perhaps noticing anywhere that you're holding on any tightness or pinching. With gentleness as best as you're able, Allowing those muscles to soften and release. Noticing how good it feels to have the eyes be closed and feel all the muscles in the face soften and release. Allowing your awareness to gently expand so you become aware of physical sensations throughout your body. Breathing in and breathing out. Now if you're still awake bring your attention back to the breath each time the mind wanders into the past or into the future or wherever it chooses to go. Returning back to the feeling of the breath coming in and breathing out. If it's a useful anchor for your attention you can count breaths. Breathing in, One. Breathing out, Breathing in, Two. Breathing out, Two. And when you reach ten start back at one again. If counting becomes a distraction and just stay with the sensation of breathing wherever you feel the breath entering or leaving your body or the rising and falling of your belly and chest. Continuing on your own now counting breaths up to ten. Patiently returning your attention whenever you become distracted. If you lose track of counting that's fine. Start over wherever you last remember. As we allow the music and the steadiness of your breath to lull you into a gentle rest so that you awake feeling refreshed and re-energized when the time is right for you.